sejintenej wrote: In fact I don't think the monitors ever had fires lit

Surely your memory fails you. I had a study fire in the winter of 1962/63, and in fact my swab and I together kept it going quite illegally for about 6 weeks during the big freeze. I would cover it with ash in the evening, and he would fan the faintly glowing embers in the morning. (I say 'quite illegally' because study fires weren't supposed to be lit until 4.00 pm.) As the chimney would have been smoking, it must have been obvious to anyone that the fire was burning, but no one said anything.

Matron also had to be supplied with coal by the coal-heavers. In ThB at least, this was a trade reserved to seniors. 'Wood-fags' (to collect kindling) were by contrast a punishment, not a trade.

Now, I know this is a long time after the original post(!) but in case you were interested, I remember talking to one of the Chemistry teachers at Old Blues Day a long time back about the 'bomb'. It was actually a bottle of Picric Acid (TNP) - Wikipedia's got some useful info about it. It was used for fixing chemicals and apparently also has uses in the field of forensics. I did enjoy Chemistry at CH - A Level with Doc James, who was a lovely man. Didn't do myself proud in the exams, but still enjoyed learning from him

Andy Friend wrote:I remember the "bomb" well. It happened on my second form and provided us with much amusement. You are quite right; the bang was dissapointing but the arrival of the bomb squad was quite entertaining!

jtaylor wrote:Anthony Moss was indeed a very bright guy, and do recall he was quiet and unassuming, but people did wonder what he was capable of, and what he was up to!

I was in the choir, but don't remember that incident - maybe a rehearsal I didn't make it to (and there were quite a few!) I don't remember hearing about it though.

On the subject of chemicals, anyone else remember when we had the bomb disposal guys turn up, to remove a bottle of TNT from the chemistry labs?? Builders were moving a cupboard, and found a bottle behind it. On inspection it was clearly something which would have turned into TNT (sure a chemist will tell me what this might have been?)
Bomb squad turned up, army-man-in-jumper walks into the lab, picks up the bottle, puts it in a padded box.
Taken out to big-side and blown up - quite a bit of entertainment!

John Wexler
I'm still looking for that photo referred to - but I have seen yours and they are v.good indeed, especially Kirby's lab, though couldn't spot any of his famous short wave radios. MY brother, also in Col A kept his hampster in Kirbys Lab

I managed to get through CH without even knowing there was a coal-hole in the Tube. Nor do I recollect, as Col B Trades Mon 1953-4, there being a coal heaving Trade. There were certainly study fires, one second mon (a Maths Grecian who should have known better as he would have been taking a Physics A level) put a can of baked beans on his fire to warm up. The explosion and its results were spectacular.